Date Spelt Loaf Cake

After my first attempt at spelt bread turned out cake-like, I decided to modify the recipe to make it into a cake. I made an apple cake without added stevia and with date syrup at the bottom, and a banana cake with the date syrup swirled in and a little additional stevia.

Ingredients

250 grams vegan yoghurt

5 tablespoons date syrup

a few drops of liquid stevia, if a sweeter cake is desired (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

100 grams whole grain spelt flour

100 grams white spelt flour plus extra for dusting

For the apple cake:

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 firm apple (I used Granny Smith, but Jonagold would be better)

For the banana cake:

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 large banana

vegetable oil

Process

Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius/350° Fahrenheit.

Grease a small bread pan with vegetable oil and dust flour inside.

Beat the yoghurt and three teaspoons of date syrup together. If using stevia, add it. Add the salt. Sift in the baking soda, baking powder, spices and flours and mix well.

Chop the apple into cubes and coat them lightly with flour. Stir them into the batter. Alternately, chop the banana and mix it in the batter.

Either pour the remaining two teaspoons of date syrup in the bottom of the pan or stir it roughly through the batter. Use a spatula to scrape the batter into the bread pan. Smooth the top.

Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 150° Celsius/300° Fahrenheit. Bake another 30 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and set it on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before turning it out, but use a spatula to loosen it immediately. Let it cool another 20 minutes before cutting.